First: More listener-driven shenanigans

Next: The panel makes recommendations for podcasts you should be downloading. 

Further: Undisclosed just dropped a special pre-appeal episode about the Adnan Syed case. In it, Rabia poses the question of whether justice is served when the appellate judges know less about the case than the general public. 

The main event: The crime writers discuss Hulu's adaptation of "The Handmaid's Tale." Is the story about a nation of subjugated woman - forced either into servitude, exile, or procreation - a feminist manifesto? From costuming, cinematography, and color schemes, there's much to ponder.

In crime of the week: is it wrong that a topless cleaning lady would be arrested for stealing underwear? 

 

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This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.

About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.

From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.

Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling, Partners in Crime Media

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We open up the mail bag and let you weigh in on our discussions about "13 Reasons Why" and the former-profiler-turned-podcaster who's caused a bit of a dust-up among our fans.

Richard Simmons may have lost touch with many people, but his lawyers aren't among them. The now-reclusive fitness guru is suing the National Enquirer for a story saying he's had a sex change operation. He also says he's being blackmailed by (say it ain't so!) former companion Mauro. If the stories are false, we think it should be easy to demonstrate so ("Your honor, we submit exhibit D.").

Then we explore the most original entrant in the JonBenet Ramsey look-back-a-thon. Netflix's non-investigation "Casting JonBenet" features average Coloradoans who think they're auditioning for a movie on the case. In reality, the auditions are an excuse to get them to candidly share their thoughts and observations about the crime. And we get to see kids smash watermelons with flashlights for good measure.

In the Crime of the Week, what did the drunk driver know and when did she know it?
 

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Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.

About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.

From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.

Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling, Partners in Crime Media

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We needed that week off. Seems like everyone's got a podcast side gig now. Toby's hosting Radio Free Dystopia, Kevin's making an appearance on Jed Bartlet is My President, and Rebecca is a new permanent panelist on Slate's Mom and Dad Are Fighting.

Rebecca didn't get verified on Twitter and she's PISSED!

In a true crime podcast update podcast update, we'll give our take on how the experts from Real Crime Profile used their profiling skills on John B. McLemore from S-town. For a character who's so beloved, the enumeration of his less-than-desirable traits has stirred lots of feelings.

At the intersection of entertainment and suicide lies Netflix's "13 Reasons Why," the most controversial series of the year. Great acting, interesting plot, but is possible to tackle teen suicide in a way that doesn't make the problem worse? Despite earnest intentions to make the show a conversation-starter, there remain legit concerns that the series irreparably sends the wrong message. In essence, everything that makes 13 Reason great are what also what makes it dangerous.

In the crime of the week: beware the sniper cat.

 

For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.

Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.

About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.

From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.

Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling, Partners in Crime Media

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Did Missing Richard Simmons flush out our favorite fitness guru? The Crime Writers give their take. Plus, Kevin reaches out to Legal Siri (AKA Colin Miller of Undisclosed) to get the latest scoop on the never-ending Adnan Syed appeal.

Then, WTF was up with that three-part Investigation Discovery special Casey Anthony: An American Murder Mystery? Do *any* of the Crime Writers think this case is a mystery? And how does Toby feel about the first I.D. show he's ever been forced to watch? Much less having to talk about it TWICE?? (Listen to Toby on The Blotter Presents with Sarah D. Bunting.)
 

For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.

Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.

About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.

From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.

Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling, Partners in Crime Media

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Crime Writers are taking you to church (er...not that church) as we share your love for and criticisms of S-Town (and your criticisms of our criticisms).  

Were we made to sympathize with racist characters? Did we miss a deeper significance in episode six? How does the horology metaphor hold up upon further review? Is CWO not intellectual enough for our listeners? Was John manipulating Brian and the other people in his life with a variety of false promises? Would any of this story have been told if John hadn't died? What's it look like inside Tyler's house? (Like this.)

In our crime of the week: how NOT to dress for a DWI.

 

For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.

Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.

About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.

From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.

Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling, Partners in Crime Media

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The crime writers review chapters 5, 6, and 7 of S-Town, the new podcast series from Serial and This American Life. This discussion gets a little deep, covering some of the criticism S-Town has faced in recent days. 

Want to hear our recaps of episodes 1-4? Go back in your feed a little bit.

 

For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.

Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.

About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.

From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.

Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling, Partners in Crime Media

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Crime Writers jump into chapters two through four of "S-town," the new podcast series from Serial and This American Life. Watch your feed for recap shows reviewing episode 1 and episodes 5-7.

 

For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.

Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.

About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.

From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.

Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling, Partners in Crime Media

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Crime Writers review episode one of S-Town - the new podcast series from the folks behind Serial and This American Life. 

Watch your feed for recap shows reviewing episodes 2-4 and 5-7.

 

For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.

Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.

About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.

From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.

Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling, Partners in Crime Media

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After recommending people watch the documentary "Tickled," the response from our listeners was an overwhelming, "What the F did I just watch"? Then a shocker: David D'amato, a key figure in the investigation, "died suddenly" this week according to the New York Times. 

"Breakdown" from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution returned with a brand new, er, sound. Season three is hosted by investigative reporter Johnny Edwards and focuses on a doctor who continued to practice medicine despite a series of sexual abuse investigations. Can the podcast thrive without the home-spun voice of legal analyst Bill Rankin?

With the conclusion of the runaway "Missing Richard Simmons" podcast, the crime writers look back on the six-part series. What did we ultimately learn about Simmons, host Dan Taberski, and about the feelings we project on celebrities? We'll give our review.

In Crime of the Week, being assaulted - literally - by a tweet. (Yes, the actually tweet.)

 

For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.

Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.

About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.

From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.

Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling, Partners in Crime Media

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What do you do in the middle of blizzard? Record a podcast, of course. 

First, the trailer for the new Serial spin-off "S-town" dropped! What will the seven episode series be about? We don't know, but Sarah Koenig's crew gave us an interesting taste and OF COURSE we had to talk about it.

Plus, despite taking an Alford plea last month, the Michael Peterson case is not quite over. The subject of the exceptional miniseries "The Staircase" is looking into the theory that his wife was actually killed in the stairwell during an owl attack. The claim had been downplayed by Peterson's defense team, and was the focus of episode 1 of the podcast "Criminal," but now they want experts to examine the feathers found with Kathleen's body. At this point does Peterson have anything to lose...or anything to win?

Then it's probably the most unusual documentary ever discussed on the podcast. "Tickled," a journalist's look into videos of the sport of "competitive endurance tickling," is NOT the lighthearted romp the title might imply. Instead, the doc takes dark and unexpected turns as the reporter tries to uncover who is behind this secretive video empire and the attempt to ruin all foes in their way. 

In the Crime of the Week: Moms + school dropoff lane + maybe too much "Big Little Lies" = gun play. Time to send the parents to time out.

 

For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.

Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.

This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more.

About the show: Crime Writers On… is the original true‑crime review podcast, covering the best in true‑crime podcasts, documentaries, TV, film, journalism, and storytelling.

From Partners in Crime Media — creators of These Are Their Stories, the Law & Order aftershow and Netflix's You Can't Make This Up.

Keywords: true‑crime review, podcast review, documentary review, TV review, media criticism, pop‑culture commentary, crime documentaries, journalism, storytelling, Partners in Crime Media

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.